The debate about a possible return of Italy to the 2026 World Cup is gaining more and more attention, but the Minister of Sports, Andrea Abodi, has dismissed this scenario, describing it as "almost impossible" and without any real room for hope.
The World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, has been embroiled in controversy following statements by Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, who is calling for Iran's matches to be moved to Mexico for security reasons.
According to him, the lack of clear guarantees and contradictory statements from US President Donald Trump make Iran's participation in the matches to be held on American territory uncertain. Trump, for his part, expressed himself vaguely, saying that Iran is "welcome", but participation may not be appropriate for security reasons.
The Iranian Football Federation has been asking FIFA for days to change the match venues, but so far there has been no positive response, mainly due to organizational and logistical difficulties.
If Iran were to withdraw from the tournament, FIFA regulations do not provide for a mandatory substitution procedure, leaving room for discretionary decisions. This has fueled speculation about a possible return of Italy, which is considered by some as a candidate due to its history and high coefficient.
However, for now, everything remains at the level of hypotheses, while the situation surrounding Iran's participation remains unclear.
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